1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a holder that fastens the molding used as decoration on the periphery of an automobile windshield, and more particularly to a holder that is fastened into the space between the car body and the windshield in order to lock and anchor the molding that preserves the external appearance following adhesion of the windshield.
2. Prior Art
The molding is installed on the periphery of the automobile windshield not only for decoration, but also for waterproofing and dustproofing. Regarding this molding, conventionally (U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,422) a leaf spring-bearing fastener is anchored in a part of the body, and the molding is anchored by locking it to the tip of the fastener. Also, in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,300, T studs are welded to the body at fixed intervals, and the molding is installed using fasteners (e.g., the metallic fastener described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,368, or the resinous fastener described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,629, Japan Utility Model 48-5391, etc.). The fasteners have keyhole slots, and the fasteners are anchored by inserting and sliding the heads of the T studs into these keyhole slots. After this anchoring, the molding is installed by connecting the edge of the molding to the fasteners.
However, in the aforementioned processes, not only are the T studs slanted by welding and the weld height and spacing are irregular, but much time and trouble are required, and the process is unsuitable for mass production. Moreover, sputter adheres to the welded part during T stud welding, so it is difficult for the paint to adhere, and rust develops in the region of the weld around metallic fasteners. A decreased market value frequently results due to the spread of this rust.
In an attempt to solve the above problem the Assignee Company of this invention has developed a molding holder for an automobile windshield comprising, as a single unit, a fixed base adhered to the body panel, a clasp extending from one end of the fixed base in parallel with said base, a base extending from the other end of the fixed base, a molding connector formed in the inside of the clasp on the fixed base, whereby the molding is held and fastened by locking its edge into the molding connector by inserting it with pressure between the fixed base and the clasp. This molding holder is lengthy, since it is applied along the front glass of the automobile.
This molding process is generally determined in terms of the material and the configuration of the product. The extrusion molding is suited for a product having rather a long and simple configuration and requring no precision. As to the material, the extrusion moldng is suited for vinyl chrolide, polyethylene and the like that has high viscosity. On the other hand, the injection molding is suited for manufacturing a product rather small but precise made of a material with a low viscosity.
Since the molding holder of this invention has such a structure that holds a molding inserted between the fixed base and the clasp, the material has to be elastic and the configuration has to be precise. Therefore, the injection molding should be used as the molding process for manufacturing the molding holder of this invention. However, as mentioned above, the injection molding is limited in the size of the product. This caused a practical problem, as the molding has a considerable length to fully cover the front glass.